The present invention relates generally to display and storage devices, and more particularly, is directed to a jewelry tray for storing and displaying jewelry items, such as rings, watches, etc.
It is know to display jewelry items on pads removably mounted in trays. The pads are made from plastic, cardboard or foam rubber, and are usually covered with some kind of fabric or flocking to give a plush look for the aesthetic demands of the jewelry display, with a layer of foam under the flocking or fabric.
However, these various pads have basic drawbacks. Specifically, plastic and cardboard pads tend to fall out of the trays, while foam rubber pads eventually lose memory from long term pressure. All of these pads became marred, dirty, ugly and eventually have to be replaced.
Further, there is the extra cost of the pads themselves.
Other types of jewelry trays mount the jewelry items directly on the trays. For example, a ring tray is known having a rectangular frame with a central rectangular opening therein and an inwardly extending peripheral ledge. A bottom closing member is secured to the tray so as to close the underside of the tray, and is formed with a plurality of recesses therein in a generally honeycomb pattern. A top pad is secured to and closes the top of the tray. In this known ring tray, the top pad includes a thin lower sheet made of a rubber or similar material that is glued to the peripheral ledge of the frame, the lower sheet having a plurality of die cut slits formed therein which are aligned with each recess. In this manner, a ring can be pushed through a slit in the lower sheet so that it is held by the rubber material and seats in a recess. In order to provide an aesthetic appearance, an upper fabric pad having a plurality of openings is adhered to the upper surface of the lower sheet so that openings in the upper fabric pad are aligned with the slits in the lower sheet.
However, with such known ring tray, one-half of the ring is hidden from view in the top pad where it is held. Further, such arrangement is unnecessarily costly and not entirely effective.